The present invention relates to a windshield visor for motor vehicles, a motor vehicle having a windshield visor, a method for manufacturing a windshield visor, and a method for attaching a windshield visor to a motor vehicle.
Windshield visors have been attached to trucks and other motor vehicles to provide protection against sun and rain and to provide increased visibility. They generally extend beyond the forward edge of the roof and over the front windshield of the motor vehicle.
A concern with windshield visors is that sufficient structural mounting and air relief are provided. The forward movement of the vehicle causes air flowing upward and across the front windshield to provide a force against the bottom surface of the visor. During high speed travel, the force of the air has been found to rip poorly designed visors from the motor vehicle. Even if the visor is securely attached, the differences in air pressure across the lower surface can cause xe2x80x9cflutter.xe2x80x9d This is exhibited by a bending and/or twisting motion. Flutter can also result if the visor is not sufficiently rigid and strong. The occurrence of flutter is not only distracting to the vehicle occupants, but it can also fatigue the visor at those locations where it is mounted to the vehicle and eventually cause it to rip off the vehicle""s roof. Therefore, windshield visors should be designed so they can securely attach to the vehicle, and provide sufficient air relief and rigidity.
Roof mounted windshield visors are fairly common and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 288,309 to Lund; Des. U.S. Pat. No. 312,238 to Lund; U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,404 to Lund; Des. U.S. Pat. No. 301,450 to Kingsly; Des. U.S. Pat. No. 301,028 to Buck;. U.S. Pat. No. 291,295 to Lund; Des. U.S. Pat. No. 288,310 to Lund; U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,619 to Haugestad; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,320 to Kingsley. The windshield visors described by these patents can be characterized as roof mounted visors since they require fastening to the motor vehicle""s roof at several locations. Most commonly, the fastening points are in the roof immediately above the front windshield. The visor then extends from the forward edge of the roof and outward, over the windshield.
Other windshield visors which may not be technically considered xe2x80x9croof mountedxe2x80x9d are described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,040 to Kingsley et al. and Des. U.S. Pat. No. 252,680 to Kingsley et al. These visors are mounted at the juncture of the roof and the edge of the windshield. Similar to the roof mounted windshield visors, however, they require fastening at several points by putting holes at locations which are highly visible if the visor is ever removed.
Many of the above-described visors provide sufficient structural support. Their points of attachment, however, are in the roof of the vehicle or at the juncture of the roof and the edge of the windshield. Owners of new trucks or utility vehicles are often reluctant to put holes in their new vehicle at those highly visible locations. If they ever decide to remove the windshield visor, expensive repair work would be necessary to remove the scars and return the vehicle to its original appearance. Furthermore, the repairs may never completely hide the fact that holes were drilled or punched in the roof. Similarly, people who lease motor vehicles are often reluctant to purchase a windshield visor since the visor may have to remain with the motor vehicle after the lease expires.
A new style of light truck and utility vehicle has been developed which is more aerodynamic than older trucks. This new style is characterized by a more rounded and sleeker look, and the replacement of exterior drip rails or rain gutters with xe2x80x9caircraft style doorsxe2x80x9d which provide internal rain gutters. For many consumers, the presently available windshield visors do not provide a satisfactory look on these newly designed vehicles. A part of the problem appears to be that several roof mounted visors do not adequately fit the curved contour of the roof. In addition, a sleeker or softer looking visor is desired for these vehicles.
A windshield visor for use on motor vehicles having windshield, roof, and driver and passenger side door frames, is provided by the present invention. A windshield visor is a device which is attachable to a motor vehicle to provide shading of the windshield from sun light and/or shielding of the windshield from precipitation. By providing shading and/or shielding, the vehicle driver""s visibility can be enhanced thereby increasing the overall safety of the motor vehicle. Accordingly, the windshield visor of present invention can be considered a safety device for motor vehicles.
The windshield visor of the present invention includes a forward wing for providing shading from sun light and shielding from precipitation, a first mounting plate, and a second mounting plate. The forward wing includes left and right wing tips, top and bottom surfaces, and leading and trailing edges. The first mounting plate is connected to the left wing tip of the forward wing and is constructed and arranged to attach to a motor vehicle""s driver side door frame. The second mounting plate is connected to the right wing tip of said forward wing and is constructed and arranged to fit a motor vehicle""s passenger side door frame. It should be appreciated that in the context of the present invention, the terms xe2x80x9cleftxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d describe the left and right sides, respectively, from the position of the driver of the motor vehicle. In most situations, it should be understood that the left side refers to the driver""s side of the motor vehicle, and the right side refers to the passenger""s side of the motor vehicle.
The windshield visor preferably includes a tensional inducer which allows the forward wing to rest on a vehicle""s roof/windshield and which provides enhanced rigidity of the visor when the first and second mounting plates are fastened to a motor vehicle""s driver and passenger side door frames. The forward wing preferably includes a top panel and a bottom panel secured together by adhesive. The trailing edge of the forward wing is constructed and arranged to provide an air relief vent which allows the air to pass over the vehicle"" windshield and through the vent. When the tensional inducer is provided, two air relief vents are preferably provided.
A motor vehicle is provided by the present invention. The motor vehicle includes: a windshield; driver and passenger side door frames; and a visor which includes a forward wing for shading the windshield from sun light and shielding the windshield from precipitation, a first mounting plate connected to the left wing tip of the forward wing and the driver side door frame, and a second mounting plate connected to the right wing tip of the forward wing and the passenger side door frame.
The windshield visor can be attached to the motor vehicle by placing the mounting plates of the visor along the driver and passenger door frames of a motor vehicle; and fastening the visor to the door frame of the motor vehicle.
A method for manufacturing a windshield visor is provided by the present invention. The method includes the steps of providing a top panel and a bottom panel, the top and bottom panels being constructed and arranged to provide a forward wing having left and right wing tips and a closed structure; providing a first mounting plate constructed and arranged to attach to the left wing tip of the forward wing; providing a second mounting plate constructed and arranged to attach to the right wing tip of the forward wing; and assembling the top and bottom panels and the first and second mounting plates so that the first mounting plate is secured to the left wing tip and the second mounting plate is secured to the right wing tip. The step of providing a top panel and a bottom panel preferably includes vacuum molding sheets of polymer containing material. The steps of providing first and second mounting plates preferably includes stamping metal sheets in a die.